In a nutshell: Arabic pronunciation relies on three essential vowels: Fatha, Damma, and Kasra. Fatha, marked by a line above a letter, produces an “a” sound; Damma, a comma-like mark above, creates a “u” sound; and Kasra, a line below, generates an “i” sound. These vowels are crucial for altering meanings and sounds in Arabic words, making them fundamental for anyone learning the language.
If you are learning Arabic, you will quickly discover how important short vowels are. In Arabic, we call them harakat (حركات), and they change the way letters are pronounced. The three most common harakat are Fatha (فَتْحَة), Damma (ضَمَّة), and Kasra (كَسْرَة). These vowels are not written as full letters but are placed above or below the letters in Arabic words.
I will explain each vowel, give examples, and show you how to pronounce every letter of the Arabic alphabet using Fatha, Damma, and Kasra.
What Are Short Vowels in Arabic?
In Arabic, short vowels are not written like they are in English. Instead, they appear as small diacritical marks placed above or below the consonants. These marks tell us how to pronounce the letter in relation to the word. There are three main short vowels:
- Fatha (فَتْحَة)
- Damma (ضَمَّة)
- Kasra (كَسْرَة)
Each of these vowels plays a special role in shaping the sound of the word, and mastering them is essential for reading, writing, and speaking Arabic fluently. Let’s go over each of these short vowels in detail.
What Are Fatha, Damma, and Kasra?
Fatha, Damma, and Kasra are short vowels that help pronounce Arabic words. They’re like the vowels “a,” “u,” and “i” in English, but in Arabic, these vowels are much more than sounds—they can change the meaning of a word.
Let’s start with defining them:
What is Fatha in Arabic?
Fatha (فَتْحَة) is a small diagonal line placed above the letter. It creates an “a” sound, similar to the “a” in “cat.” It is the most basic and probably the first vowel you will learn in Arabic.
Example with the Arabic alphabet:
- ب (B) + فَتْحَة becomes بَ (Ba)
- Transliteration: ba
Another example:
- كَتَبَ (kataba)
- Translation: “He wrote”
- Transliteration: kataba
You can see how the fatha changes the sound of the letters to make the word.
As Ustadh Hamada Muhammad, one of our expert native Arabic teachers and the supervisor of the Arabic for Adults department at Kalimah, suggests:
“Start with the fatha, the easiest harakat, and practice pronouncing the letters with it. For example, بَ (ba), تَ (ta). This will help reinforce the letter’s shape and sound.”
What is Damma in Arabic?
Damma (ضَمَّة) is a small “comma”-like mark placed above the letter. It creates an “u” sound, like in “put.”
Example with the Arabic alphabet:
- ب (B) + ضَمَّة becomes بُ (Bu)
- Transliteration: bu
Another example:
- كُتُب (kutub)
- Translation: “books”
- Transliteration: kutub
The damma gives the letter a “u” sound, changing the way the whole word is pronounced.
What is Kasra in Arabic?
Kasra (كَسْرَة) is a small diagonal line placed below the letter. It creates an “i” sound, similar to the “i” in “sit.”
Example with the Arabic alphabet:
- ب (B) + كَسْرَة becomes بِ (Bi)
- Transliteration: bi
Another example:
- كِتَاب (kitāb)
- Translation: “book”
- Transliteration: kitāb
Here, the kasra makes the letter sound like “i,” which alters the pronunciation of the word.
What is the Difference Between Fatha and Kasra?
The main difference between fatha and kasra lies in the sound each vowel creates. Fatha makes an “a” sound, while kasra creates an “i” sound. They are placed in different positions on the letter as well – fatha is placed above the letter, while kasra is placed below.
Let’s take the letter “ب” (B) as an example:
- With fatha: بَ (Ba)
- With kasra: بِ (Bi)
See how the sound changes depending on the vowel used. This subtle shift can make a big difference in meaning when speaking or writing Arabic. That’s why it’s essential to practice these vowels regularly, which is something we do thoroughly at Kalimah Center.
Time to train your ear! This audio will guide you through practicing the letters with the fatha, damma, and kasra.
https://archive.org/details/ArabicAlphabetSongsVideo
Arabic Alphabet with Fatha, Damma, and Kasra: Examples for Each Letter
Let’s now go through the 28 Arabic letters with examples of Fatha, Damma, and Kasra. This way, you will see how each letter sounds with different short vowels.
1. Arabic Alphabet with Fatha (فَتْحَة)
Now, let’s start with Fatha (فَتْحَة). As we mentioned, it’s a small line above the letter, and it makes the sound like “a” in “cat.” Every letter in Arabic can have Fatha.
I will give you examples of each letter alone and in a word so you can see how they work.
Remember, Fatha is very important to learn because it helps you read and speak correctly.
Arabic Letters with Fatha:
| Arabic Letter | Sound | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| أَ | a | أَسَد | lion |
| بَ | ba | بَاب | door |
| تَ | ta | تَمْر | dates |
| ثَ | tha | ثَعْلَب | fox |
| جَ | ja | جَمَل | camel |
| حَ | ha | حَر | heat |
| خَ | kha | خَل | vinegar |
| دَ | da | دَفْتَر | notebook |
| ذَ | dha | ذَهَب | gold |
| رَ | ra | رَجُل | man |
| زَ | za | زَار | visited |
| سَ | sa | سَمَك | fish |
| شَ | sha | شَجَرَة | tree |
| صَ | sa | صَحْن | plate |
| ضَ | da | ضَوء | light |
| طَ | ta | طَالِب | student |
| ظَ | dha | ظَلّ | remain |
| عَ | a | عَلَم | flag |
| غَ | gha | غَنَّى | sang |
| فَ | fa | فَأْر | mouse |
| قَ | qa | قَلَم | pen |
| كَ | ka | كَتَبَ | he wrote |
| لَ | la | لَيمُون | lemon |
| مَ | ma | مَاء | water |
| نَ | na | نَار | fire |
| هَ | ha | هَوَاء | air |
| وَ | wa | وَلَد | boy |
| يَ | ya | يَد | hand |
Each letter sounds different with Fatha, and it is the most basic short vowel for learning to read Arabic.
Exercises:
Now, let’s practice the Fatha sound with some exercises.
These exercises are taken from the Iqraa book, which is used in the first and second levels of our Online Arabic Course due to its focus on harakat.
Pronounce the exercises out loud to practice the Fatha pronunciation.
2. Arabic Alphabet with Damma (ضَمَّة)
Now, let’s move to Damma (ضَمَّة). Damma is like a small curl symbol above the letter. It makes a short “u” sound, like “oo” in “book.” It changes the way letters sound compared to Fatha. I will give you the letters with Damma and examples with words so you can understand how to pronounce them.
Arabic Letters with Damma:
| Arabic Letter | Sound | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| أُ | u | أُم | mother |
| بُ | bu | بُرْتُقَال | orange |
| تُ | tu | تُفَاح | apple |
| ثُ | thu | ثُعْبَان | snake |
| جُ | ju | جُمَل | sentences |
| حُ | hu | حُب | love |
| خُ | khu | خُرُوج | exit |
| دُ | du | دُبّ | bear |
| ذُ | dhu | ذُرَّة | corn |
| رُ | ru | رُسُوم | drawings |
| زُ | zu | زُجَاج | glass |
| سُ | su | سُوق | market |
| شُ | shu | شُكرا | thanks |
| صُ | su | صُورَة | picture |
| ضُ | du | ضُيُوف | guests |
| طُ | tu | طُيُور | birds |
| ظُ | dhu | ظُلْم | injustice |
| عُ | u | عُلُوم | sciences |
| غُ | ghu | غُرَاب | crow |
| فُ | fu | فُول | beans |
| قُ | qu | قُبَّة | dome |
| كُ | ku | كُرَة | ball |
| لُ | lu | لُغَة | language |
| مُ | mu | مُعَلِّم | teacher |
| نُ | nu | نُجُوم | stars |
| هُ | hu | هُدُوء | calm |
| وُ | wu | وُلِدَ | was born |
| يُ | yu | يُوسُف | Joseph |
Damma gives a nice “u” sound, and it is important for words that need this sound. Practice this with each letter to understand it better.
Exercises:
Now, let’s practice the Damma sound with some exercises.
Pronounce the exercises out loud to practice the Damma pronunciation.
*These exercises are taken from the Iqraa book
3. Arabic Alphabet with Kasra (كَسْرَة)
Finally, we will learn about Kasra (كَسْرَة). Kasra is a small line below the letter, and it makes a short “i” sound, like the “i” in “sit.” This sound is very different from Fatha and Damma. I will show you each letter with Kasra, and how it changes in a word.
Arabic Letters with Kasra:
- إِ (i) – Example: إِبْرِيق (ibriq) – “pitcher”
- بِ (bi) – Example: بِحَار (bihar) – “seas”
- تِ (ti) – Example: تِلْمِيذ (tilmidh) – “student”
- ثِ (thi) – Example: ثِيرَان (thiran) – “bulls”
- جِ (ji) – Example: جِبَال (jibal) – “mountains”
- حِ (hi) – Example: حِمَايَة (himaya) – “protection”
- خِ (khi) – Example: خِمَار (khimar) – “veil”
- دِ (di) – Example: دِين (deen) – “religion”
- ذِ (dhi) – Example: ذِرَاع (dhira’) – “arm”
- رِ (ri) – Example: رِيشَة (risha) – “feather”
- زِ (zi) – Example: زِينة (zeena) – “decoration”
- سِ (si) – Example: سِكِّين (sikkin) – “knife”
- شِ (shi) – Example: شِرَاء (shira’) – “purchase”
- صِ (si) – Example: صِدِق (sidq) – “truth”
- ضِ (di) – Example: ضِفْدَع (difda’) – “frog”
- طِ (ti) – Example: طِفْل (tifl) – “child”
- ظِ (dhi) – Example: ظِبَاء (dhiba’) – “gazelles”
- عِ (i) – Example: عِيد (‘id) – “feast”
- غِ (ghi) – Example: غِذَاء (ghidha’) – “food”
- فِ (fi) – Example: فِكْر (fikr) – “thought”
- قِ (qi) – Example: قِطَّة (qitta) – “cat”
- كِ (ki) – Example: كِتَاب (kitab) – “book”
- لِ (li) – Example: لِسَان (lisan) – “tongue”
- مِ (mi) – Example: مِفْتَاح (miftah) – “key”
- نِ (ni) – Example: نِصْف (nisf) – “half”
- هِ (hi) – Example: هِلال (hilal) – “crescent”
- وِ (wi) – Example: وِسَادَة (wisada) – “pillow”
Kasra makes the letter sound like “i.” Practice it with the other letters we learned with Fatha and Damma, and you will improve your reading and speaking.
Exercises:
Now, let’s practice the Kasra sound with some exercises.
Pronounce the exercises out loud to practice the Kasra pronunciation.
*These exercises are taken from the Iqraa book
Comparison Table of Fatha, Damma, and Kasra
The table below summarizes the three short vowels in Arabic: Fatha, Damma, and Kasra. Each vowel affects the pronunciation of the letter it is placed on. Let’s compare them:
| Short Vowel | Symbol | Pronunciation | Sound Example (with ب) | Transliteration | Example Word | Meaning |
| Fatha | ـــَ | Short “a” sound | بَ (ba) | “a” | بَاب (bab) | “door” |
| Damma | ـــُ | Short “u” sound | بُ (bu) | “u” | بُحُور (buhūr) | “seas” |
| Kasra | ـــِ | Short “i” sound | بِ (bi) | “i” | بِسْم (bism) | “in the name” |
Want to truly master Arabic Fatha, Damma, and Kasra?
Reading about Fatha, Damma, and Kasra is a great start to your Arabic learning journey. But true mastery comes with practice! At Kalimah Center, our expert teachers will help you put your knowledge into action.
Through our structured Arabic courses, you’ll:
- Read and write Arabic with confidence: We’ll guide you through the intricacies of harakat, tashkeel, and diacritics.
- Understand how Arabic harakat changes word meanings: Master the subtle nuances of Arabic pronunciation.
- Speak Arabic with correct pronunciation: Our interactive classes will help you develop fluency.
Our courses:
- Learn Arabic Online For Adults. Talk Arabic easy!
- Learn Arabic for Kids: Fun way for kids to learn.
- Learn Quran & Tajweed Online: Read the Quran right. Understand it better!
Join us for a FREE trial class today! You’ll see how Kalimah Center can help you learn Arabic with harakat and tashkeel quickly and easily.
Conclusion:
Fatha, Damma, and Kasra are essential vowels in Arabic, known as harakat, that significantly influence pronunciation and meaning. Fatha (فَتْحَة), a diagonal line above a letter, produces an “a” sound (as in “cat”). Damma (ضَمَّة), resembling a comma above the letter, creates a “u” sound (like in “put”), while Kasra (كَسْرَة), a line below, gives an “i” sound (similar to “sit”).
Each vowel affects every letter in the Arabic alphabet, shaping sounds and forming words. For example, ب (B) with Fatha becomes بَ (Ba) meaning “door,” while with Damma, it changes to بُ (Bu) for “seas,” and with Kasra, it turns into بِ (Bi) meaning “in.”
At Kalimah Center, structured courses provide opportunities to practice these sounds through interactive learning, ensuring students develop confidence and fluency in Arabic.
